Magic, Huh?
Clack, clack.
It had been only half a day since departing from Abon County. I was still in the middle of learning magic, and I'd already mastered 1st Circle with ease.
Whether it was thanks to the protagonist buff or the mana circuits that flowed without blockage, my basic 1st Circle spells packed three times the punch—up to five times or more in raw power.
I understood everything after hearing it just once. A bizarre phenomenon. Did I already have some innate aptitude for magic? Or was it because I was a modern man who could do mental math for simple equations without issue? Either way, that's how I mastered 1st Circle in less than half a day.
Lila, my instructor, had stared at me in utter disbelief. Then she started explaining 2nd Circle magic.
"...It requires even more complex formulas, powerful mental focus, and a lot of mana. Truth be told, this is where the real world of magic begins."
"Why explain it so complicated? It's just a step up from 1st Circle, right? Anyone who's not an idiot would grasp that simple principle. I could probably just use 2nd Circle right now."
"If you say that anywhere else, you'll become public enemy number one for mages! And 2nd Circle isn't that simple to cast. It's nothing like the 'mental strength' they talk about in martial arts!"
"You'll see soon enough. By the way, why are my ears itching? Someone badmouthing me?"
Maybe Abon Count was cursing me out. As long as he wasn't coughing up blood, he should count himself lucky.
After all, I'd cleaned out his secret warehouse. If word of that reached him, he'd go mad without a doubt.
Eh, that's what they call reaping what you sow.
While I was lost in thought during the magic lesson, Lila shot me another incredulous look.
"Even mages who focus and train for months can barely manage to cast it!"
"Feels like I can just do it. Aren't you overthinking this?"
"Not at all!"
"Wanna bet on it again, then?"
"Urgh."
Her face flushed red, her body trembling. Made me wanna pat her on the head or something. There was a subtle thrill in teasing her like this.
I could tell she was barely holding back her anger. Cecilia would've loved it and jumped me, but Lila wasn't like that—which made it all the more fun.
"Milord! From 2nd Circle on, it's best to use hand seals! You know what I mean, right?"
"Hand seals? For something as basic as 2nd Circle?"
"Of course!"
The carriage finally came to a stop. It was around lunchtime.
We stepped out to stretch and grab some food first.
"After lunch, time to experiment."
Murmurs rose.
A scarecrow stood in the wide clearing, clad in light infantry armor—far sturdier than your average training dummy.
Word had spread that Viscount Aron was about to demonstrate 2nd Circle magic, drawing retainers, knights, and soldiers to crowd around.
Lila clearly hated this situation. Viscount Aron treated magic like a joke, casually insulting all the mages who'd clawed their way to this level through blood, sweat, and tears. And he had this hobby of subtly tormenting people.
She'd misjudged him badly. But oddly, that only built anticipation—an infuriating mix of emotions.
Beside her, Chief Administrator Kainus—fanning himself with a massive fan in his bizarre outfit—eyed the scarecrow with interest.
"Does the advisor know magic too?"
"Hoho, indeed, lady. I can manage a bit of magic."
"What do you think of a total newbie from yesterday pulling off 2nd Circle today?"
"If he's got talent, it's plenty possible, no?"
"Ha! How can someone who's studied magic say that? You know 2nd Circle isn't easy!"
"Well, I learned magic as a hobby and can cast up to 3rd Circle without issue."
"......"
Her face crumpled even more. Not a single normal person among Viscount Aron's retainers.
The knights groveled on their knees like it was mealtime and saw no shame in bootlicking their lord. High Priestess Cecilia seemed to have some perverse tendencies. Steward Kane, who wasn't with the army, was apparently a ruthless profiteer. The closest to normal was Soldier Captain Honus—or so she'd heard. Though as a former slave soldier risen to captain, he was still way outside normal bounds.
'To think I have to live among these lunatics.'
A bleak glimpse of her future.
As she drowned in useless thoughts, Viscount Aron stretched like he was about to swing a sword—twisting this way and that, loosening his muscles. He didn't look like a man about to cast magic at all. He even yawned once before casually extending his hand.
As he'd said earlier, no hand seals from the lord.
"Wind Spear."
"Wind Spear"
⟨ Wind Spear ⟩
Krraaaack!
Whoooosh!
Mana flowed visibly from Viscount Aron's body, swiftly shaping elements into a massive spear form—three times the size of a standard Wind Spear. Whether he could even launch it was questionable.
A groan escaped Lila involuntarily.
"I told you over and over: form it that crudely, and the power halves!"
He'd clearly let her explanations go in one ear and out the other.
Shwaaak!
Kainus snapped open his fan.
"Hmm, looks like proper magic to me."
"Hmph! If that shatters the armor, I'll eat my hat—woof woof and all."
"Oh?"
Screeeeech!
A blast of fierce wind accompanied the piercing whistle. The air itself seemed to tear as the Wind Spear hurtled forward, slamming into the armor.
KABOOM!
"......!"
The armor exploded into powder. The spear, still brimming with power, flew hundreds of meters to embed in a distant boulder.
KRABOOM!
"Gasp!"
The boulder shattered into dust too.
"Woooah!"
Soldiers ignorant of magic cheered like it was nothing special, but Lila stood with her mouth agape, unable to close it.
Kainus smirked faintly.
"Hoho, looks like you're the dog now, miss. I'll remember that well."
"This is cheating!"
Three days after leaving Abon County. The battlefield was just a few days away.
Once war broke out, I'd have a chance to squeeze karma from the gods.
For days, the gods had been fiercely debating how I could recruit the giantkin under my banner. Various ideas floated around, but no conclusion yet.
Let it ride, and some massive windfall might drop.
"Yawwwwwn!"
"Are you even listening?"
"Eh, just bored out of my mind."
"How the hell did you master 2nd Circle?"
1st Circle in a day. 2nd Circle took two days. And on the third day, I was learning 3rd Circle.
Magic was starting to get a tad tricky now. In modern terms, it was heavy on trig functions and parabolas—less power, but with area-of-effect spells for mass destruction.
The silver lining? After I learned Wind Spear and obliterated the scarecrow, Lila had become much more compliant.
"3rd Circle really needs hand seals. You learned the concept, right?"
"They act as a conduit to channel mana. But I don't need that crap."
"It's essential. You'll have to do it eventually."
"Like this?"
Ruuuumble!
A massive fireball formed beside the carriage. That was Fire Ball—an area-of-effect spell with about a 10-meter radius.
But with me casting it, I wondered just how big the kill zone would be.
The moment I conjured the Fire Ball, Lila was too stunned to speak. A flicker of awe in her eyes.
"...Are you a dragon?"
"Huh? Dragon?"
I spotted Kainus flinch ever so slightly. After my flawless casting, she'd jumped to the conclusion I might be a dragon.
"I'm human, though?"
"No human could do this......"
And another yawn burst out.
"Yawwwwwn!"
As bored as I was, the gods must've been too.
Today's bickering between Mahadev and Venus rang in my ears. They might actually grow on me at this rate.
I was bored too when Rommel flung open the carriage door.
"Reporting to milord!"
"Spit it out. Bandits? Monster attack?"
"Ahem, nothing like that. Marquis Resid's knight order is approaching."
"Marquis Resid, huh."
Top contributor to the empire's founding, frontrunner for next duke, lord of the north. Amid the giantkin invasion crumbling defenses, he'd rallied the north into a 100,000-strong army, fortifying lines and churning out reinforcements as Northern Defense Force commander.
Hearing I was coming as Conquest Army commander, he'd sent his knights.
We'd hit the battlefield in days, but it felt like time to trigger an event here. The gods were expectant too.
A bit pressuring. But to satisfy the gods, I'd have to shake things up with the incoming knight order.
The Redmoon Knights wore blood-red armor like they'd bathed in it. Leading them: Captain Aseton.
He rode up, saluting crisply.
"Hail to the Conquest Army commander!"
"No marquis?"
"Marquis...? Shouldn't it be 'Your Excellency'?"
"Excellency? His Majesty appointed me Conquest Army commander with authority over all northern forces. Peacetime's one thing, but in wartime, my rank trumps yours."
"That's sophistry. Starting trouble for no—"
Screeeeech!
KABOOOOOM!
"Gaaaaah!"
I smashed Captain Aseton flat out. Using God's Fist too, so lightning arced across the entire knight order, flinging them far away.
"......"
No one expected him to wipe a marquis's knights—they couldn't hide their shock. The knights twitching on the ground hadn't grasped the situation either.
Of course, this alone wouldn't satisfy the gods. Time to crank the madness up a notch for real impact.